Facts

Serial flasher sightings

Aug. 10, 11:15 a.m.Two young women said a man exposed himself to them at Maxine Barrett Park and asked if they would touch his genitals.Aug. 10, afternoon.:Two victims came forward on Aug. 12 to tell police a man had exposed himself to them near the Venice Pier on the previous Saturday.Aug. 10, 9:30 p.m.Two other women near the construction site at Sharky's on the Pier restaurant said they were solicited by a man. When they refused, the man pulled down his shorts and began touching himself before running away.Aug. 10, 9:45 p.m.:Two women saw a man masturbating in the stairwell near the second floor of the Old Venice Pub at Venice Avenue and U.S. 41 Business.Aug. 12, 4 p.m.:Two young women were tanning just north of the Venice Pier. The women told police that a man matching the flasher's description walked passed them and dropped a handwritten note.The note offered the women money if they would allow him to perform a sexual act on them.The victims were able to snap a picture of the man with a cell phone, which showed a large tattoo on his right arm.Aug. 16, no time available:A woman told police that a man exposed himself to her near the historic Train Depot along the Legacy Trail.Aug. 17, 5:32 p.m.:Five women saw a man masturbating in the Sharky's on the Pier parking lot. They called police immediately. Officers were able to catch the man, whom they identified as 50-year-old William Francis Waldman.

McNulty said the suspect left a handwritten note for one of his victims.

“It described what he wanted,” the police chief said.

Investigators were able to match a latent print taken from the note to the suspect, William Francis Waldman.

“It's more evidence,” McNulty said. “We got him.”

EARLIER: Police say they arrested a serial flasher this weekend near a popular beachfront restaurant after a foot race ended with officers threatening the man with a stun gun.

William Francis Waldman, 50, was arrested Saturday evening near Sharky's on the Pier, 1600 Harbor Dr. S., and charged with five counts of indecent exposure in public and one count of prowling.

Waldman, of Deltona, is suspected of exposing his genitals to young women around Venice at least six times since Aug. 10.

Four of the incidents happened on Aug. 10, one happened on Aug. 11 and another on Friday.

Most of the exposures happened near Maxine Barrett Park and Sharky's on the Pier, but Waldman was also allegedly spotted near the Train Depot off Venice Avenue East and the Old Venice Pub on the corner of U.S. 41 Business and Venice Avenue West.

The Venice Police Department received a call about a possible seventh flashing around 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the south end of the Sharky's on the Pier parking lot.

Police arrived on the scene within five minutes, and employees told them that the man took off running north on the beach.

Several minutes later, an officer caught up with a man later identified as Waldman and threatened him with a stun gun.

Waldman gave up after the threat and was taken into custody, police reported.

Sgt. T.R. Crepeau said Waldman tried to act nonchalant when he was captured.

“At the point we got there he got his shorts back up and was trying to be discreet,” Crepeau said.

Crepeau also said the group of women who called to report the Saturday incident helped them catch the flasher.

“The five women that were there, they jumped on the phone right away,” the sergeant said. “I'm glad it didn't go any further.”

Waldman matched the description of the flasher and had the same large tattoo on his right arm as the man matching the victims' descriptions.

Waldman was convicted of driving with a suspended license in 2006, according to the Seminole County Clerk of Court.

On Sunday, Waldman remained in the Sarasota County jail in lieu of $250,120 bail.

<p><em>VENICE</em> - Venice Police Chief Tom McNulty said Monday detectives have additional physical evidence linking the alleged serial flasher to one of his alleged crimes.</p><p>McNulty said the suspect left a handwritten note for one of his victims.</p><p>“It described what he wanted,” the police chief said. </p><p>Investigators were able to match a latent print taken from the note to the suspect, William Francis Waldman. </p><p>“It's more evidence,” McNulty said. “We got him.”</p><p>EARLIER: Police say they arrested a serial flasher this weekend near a popular beachfront restaurant after a foot race ended with officers threatening the man with a stun gun.</p><p>William Francis Waldman, 50, was arrested Saturday evening near Sharky's on the Pier, 1600 Harbor Dr. S., and charged with five counts of indecent exposure in public and one count of prowling.</p><p>Waldman, of Deltona, is suspected of exposing his genitals to young women around Venice at least six times since Aug. 10.</p><p>Four of the incidents happened on Aug. 10, one happened on Aug. 11 and another on Friday.</p><p>Most of the exposures happened near Maxine Barrett Park and Sharky's on the Pier, but Waldman was also allegedly spotted near the Train Depot off Venice Avenue East and the Old Venice Pub on the corner of U.S. 41 Business and Venice Avenue West.</p><p>The Venice Police Department received a call about a possible seventh flashing around 5:30 p.m. Saturday at the south end of the Sharky's on the Pier parking lot.</p><p>Police arrived on the scene within five minutes, and employees told them that the man took off running north on the beach.</p><p>Several minutes later, an officer caught up with a man later identified as Waldman and threatened him with a stun gun.</p><p>Waldman gave up after the threat and was taken into custody, police reported.</p><p>Sgt. T.R. Crepeau said Waldman tried to act nonchalant when he was captured.</p><p>“At the point we got there he got his shorts back up and was trying to be discreet,” Crepeau said.</p><p>Crepeau also said the group of women who called to report the Saturday incident helped them catch the flasher.</p><p>“The five women that were there, they jumped on the phone right away,” the sergeant said. “I'm glad it didn't go any further.”</p><p>Waldman matched the description of the flasher and had the same large tattoo on his right arm as the man matching the victims' descriptions.</p><p>Waldman was convicted of driving with a suspended license in 2006, according to the Seminole County Clerk of Court.</p><p>On Sunday, Waldman remained in the Sarasota County jail in lieu of $250,120 bail.</p>